NEWS & HIGHLIGHTS

 

New survey shows the career-related benefits of study abroad

A new IES Abroad survey of recent college graduates shows that studying abroad enables college students to find jobs more quickly after graduation, related to their major and at a higher salary.

IES Abroad, a nonprofit provider of study abroad programs, found that nearly 90% of their study abroad alumni found their first job within six months of graduation, as compared to a low 49% of respondents who found a full-time job within a year of graduating as reported in a recent State University of New Jersey survey of the overall college graduate population.

More than 65% of the IES Abroad alumni surveyed found a career-related position in their field of study. This is particularly noteworthy considering that the survey respondents graduated from college between 2006 and 2011, in the middle of the Great Recession.  In addition, IES Abroad alums earned an average of $35,000 at their first full-time jobs, $7,000 more than the average recent college graduate in the United States.

"We believe that more and more employers are realizing the extraordinary benefits of study abroad, and are seeking out graduates who have had study abroad experiences. Key jobs skills such as adaptability, global understanding and tolerance, leadership, and independence are directly fostered by learning and living abroad,” said Dr. Mary M. Dwyer, President and CEO of IES Abroad. “For parents concerned about the return on their investment, studying abroad offers some very clear benefits for graduates.”

To read more about the study visit the IES Abroad website.

Article: Globally competitive does not mean globally competent

In a recent article in the Huffington Post, Stacie Nevadomski Berdan argues that foreign language instruction and other kinds of global education are critical to create globally-minded graduates able to compete in today’s multilingual, global workforce. The hard job skills are not enough. She explains that employees must have the capability and cultural flexibility to work productively in cities around the world, with global teams or bosses based in other countries.

Alarmed by the discussion held during a May 21 two-hour federal hearing, the author explains that "the FBI, the Departments of Defense, State, Education and Homeland Security, and a variety of experts including foreign language teachers and the Institute of International Education all agreed that we do not have enough foreign language speakers now nor in the pipeline to meet our national security needs, which includes economic stability in an increasing global marketplace. Expert after expert testified to the benefits and the long-term solutions for this is not an overnight shift. Learning a second language and embracing an international education—one that teaches all subjects through a global lens—will take a fresh start, beginning as early as kindergarten." Nevadomski Berdan encourages elementary and secondary education systems to include foreign language study long before students arrive at a university.

To read the full article, please visit the Huffington Post.

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Making friends in the U.S.

Nearly 40 percent of international students in the United States say that they have no close U.S. friends and wish they had more meaningful relationships with their U.S. peers. The results of this new study published in the Journal of International and Intercultural Communication digs into the numerous factors that go into these results including internal factors such as limited language proficiency or shyness and American factors, such as superficiality or lack of interest in other cultures.

The study was coordinated by Elisabeth Gareis, associate professor of communication studies at Baruch College of the City University of New York. She explains, "Through friendships, international students have stronger language skills, better academic performance, lower levels of stress and better overall adjustment to a new culture."

At Marquette University, the Office of International Education has numerous programs in place to help integrate international students into the campus community.

  • International Student Orientation: provides the critical information to help students adjust to living at Marquette.
  • ARSC 1960 - First Year Seminar: International Student Experience in the U.S. - a one-credit course designed to provide ongoing orientation to international students.
  • Peer Mentoring: connects new international students with peer mentors, including current international students, study abroad alumni and other students.
  • Friendship Program: matches new students with community members to provide students with the opportunity to get off campus and meet a ‘typical’ American family.
  • OIE Program Center: provides social activities each month open to all Marquette students.

Additionally, the Office of University Apartments coordinates Global Village where international exchange students, those students who are here for just a semester or year, room with two other undergraduate students. The current students create a welcoming community, which helps international students from countries across over the world adjust to life at Marquette.

Read more from Inside Higher Ed or The Chronicle of Higher Education.

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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Volunteer at Wisconsin State Fair

state fairSaturday, August 4 & Sunday, August 5
9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Wisconsin State Fair Park – in the DNR area

Interfaith Older Adult Programs needs volunteers to help kids and their families paint
t-shirts and reusable bags using rubber stamps and fresh leaves. Through this craft project, kids and families will have the opportunity to learn about wildlife and the environment in Wisconsin.

Volunteers are provided FREE admission to State Fair after each session they volunteer. The craft area is outdoors under a tent and snacks and beverages will be provided. To volunteer on one or both days, contact Theresa Conroy at 414-220-8654 or tconroy@interfaithmilw.org.

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Mentor a new international student this fall
state fairAre you interested in being a mentor to a new international student who will be joining Marquette this fall?  If so, it’s not too late to apply become an international peer mentor.  It’s a great way to be involved with the international community at Marquette and provide support to a new student.   You can meet people from all over the world, learn about different cultures and build meaningful relationships.  This opportunity is an eight-week, voluntary (unpaid) commitment that is open to international students and returned study abroad students. 
 
To apply for this experience and more information, please contact Ellen Blauw in OIE for an application by July 15.   ellen.blauw@marquette.edu.

Assist with International Student Orientation

state fair Will you be on campus in August? Would you like to assist new international students? Student volunteers are needed to assist with a variety of new student orientation activities August 13-26. Some of these activities include serving on student panels about student and academic life, preparing orientation materials, helping students buy books, escorting students on shopping expeditions and creating or participating in a skit about life at Marquette and cultural differences.

If you are interested in helping as a volunteer email susan.whipple@marquette.edu. She will provide you with a full list of dates and volunteer opportunities.

 

EVENTS

Documentary: Saving Face

Sunday, July 15
11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Landmark's Downer Theatre, 2589 N. Downer Ave.

The Pakistan Physicians Society of Wisconsin proudly presents the screening of Saving
Face
, recipient of the 2012 Academy Award for a short subject doumentary. The documentary chronicles the lives of acid-attack survivors Zakia and Rukhsana as they attempt to bring their assailants to justice and move on with their lives. The women are supported by NGOs, sympathetic policymakers, and skilled doctors, such as the Acid Survivors Foundation- Pakistan, plastic surgeon Dr. Mohammad Jawad, who returns to his home country to assist them, attorney Ms. Sarkar Abbass who fights Zakia’s case, and female politician Marvi Memon who advocates for new legislation. All proceeds from this showing will go to Indus Hospital Karachi. Ticket cost is $25. 

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Posters of Paris - Toulouse-Lautrec and His Contemporaries

June 1 - September 9
Milwaukee Art Museum

This summer, the Milwaukee Art Museum transports visitors to nineteenth-century Paris with its feature exhibition. Advertising everything from theatre productions to the cancan, brightly hued posters featuring bold typography and playful imagery punctuated the streets of turn-of-the-century Paris.

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Milwaukee's Ethnic Festivals

Enjoy Milwaukee's numerous ethnic festivals this summer through the music, food and cultures that make up our city.

festival

Bastille Days

July 12-15
Cathedral Square Park, 520 E. Wells St.
www.easttown.com/events/bastille-days

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Festa Italiana

July 19-22
Maier Festival Park, 200 N. Harbor Dr.
www.festaitaliana.com

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German Fest

July 26-29
Maier Festival Park, 200 N. Harbor Dr.
www.germanfest.com

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African World Festival

August 4-5
Maier Festival Park, 200 N. Harbor Dr.
www.africanworldfestival-milwaukee.com

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Irish Fest

August 16-19
Maier Festival Park, 200 N. Harbor Dr.
www.irishfest.com

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Mexican Fiesta

August 24-26
Maier Festival Park, 200 N. Harbor Dr.
www.mexicanfiesta.org

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St. Sava Serbian Days

August 24-26
St. Sava Serriah Orthodox Cathedral, 3201 S. 51st Street
www.stsava-milw.org/index_eng.asp

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Indian Summer Festival

September 7-9
Maier Festival Park, 200 N. Harbor Dr.
www.indiansummer.org

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Scholarships & Conferences

Check out our scholarships and conferences webpage dedicated to keeping up-to-date listings of scholarships, fellowships and academic conference opportunities available to undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty and staff. Click on the links below for details and the complete listing.

Academic and Conference Opportunities
-British Council Going Global 2013 Conference in Dubai
-Guatemala Accompaniment Project

Fellowships and Scholarships
- Engineering Scholarship for Masters Degree - Spain
- New Fulbright Grants to Brazil
- Meemic Foundation Grants Now Available to WI Educators

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CONTENTS


STUDENT PROFILE

new studen

Shona Hang
Biomedical Sciences ‘12

Shona Hang, a Marquette biomedical sciences graduate, recently shared her modern-day immigrant success story with the Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter.

Hang was born in a Thai refugee camp before traveling to the United States as a young girl. Her parents and other Hmong families helped U.S. troops during the Vietnam War, but had to flee Laos when the United States pulled out in 1975.

“I remember my parents talk about the poverty there,” Hang explained. “We came here and we came across another form of poverty in the lack of skills.”

Hang lost her parents at age nine to illness, and her early experiences translating for her parents in the hospital sparked her interest in biomedical sciences. Growing up with her extended family, Hang is both Hmong and American. “I feel I have a solid understanding of the relationship between Hmong beliefs and Western medicine,” she explains. She wants to give back to the communities that supported her, and her ability to communicate between cultures will be a strong asset.

While studying abroad in Cape Town, South Africa during her junior year, Hang had the opportunity to study the accessibility of South Africa’s healthcare system and the public health challenges facing countries around the world. Her experiences helped bring focus to her future path. Hang’s next step in her career is to pursue a master’s degree in public health.

Read more in the Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter.


 

 



Office of International Education
P.O. Box 1881
Milwaukee, WI 53201-1881
(414) 288-7289